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15/04/2012

Tutorial: a hawk in my window - English paper piecing

A few days ago a starling died after colliding with my window. I have windows both on the east and west side of my living room, so it probaby saw the light and thought it could fly through. I decided to hang one of those hawk silhouettes in the window. But I didn't like the idea of having something ugly black... so I came up with this idea. I took pictures of the process, so here is a tutorial how to make one.

First I printed out a silhouette from this site - but I was in a hurry at my boyfriend's place so didn't get the right size. Of course, the best is to print it enlarged to an A4 sheet or enlarge it with a photocopier, but as I had none at home, I had to use the old-fashioned method: divide the picture into squares, draw the same number of - bigger - squares on the cardboard, and try to copy the shapes for each square.

I cut a side from a muesli-box and draw the picture on it, then cut it out. Later realized that simple printing paper would have been better. This is only my second attemt at paper piecing and I forgot about the basting. :(

Then I cut it up into five, trying to cut straight lines. After that took out my scrap fabrics and found a few pieces that were big enough to cover each segment.

For sewing the pieces together I used the English paper piecing. I learned it from this video - although this time I didn't do the basting, just pinned it. I regretted it as I was sewing :DThen I sewed blanket stitch around the shape folding under about 1 cm.

This is what resulted:

However, when I lifted it to the window, the folds and hems were very visible. So first I ironed on some thick white batting, then the thin black iron-on interfacing that I had at home. I am sure sewing the whole shape to a piece of black fabric, e.g. felt, would be just as good.

This is it hanging in the window - I cannot really make the colours and patterns be seen in the photo against the light, but it is really lovely.

And for the birds it is just a black shape. I only hope they will see it through the window and will not be fooled by the reflection. Fingers crossed!